Is Now the Right Time to Buy Big Oil?

2013 has been a rather down year for all of the large integrated major oil companies. But with Total, BP, and Royal Dutch Shell winding down their capital expenditures to focus on returns, could this be the time to invest in Big Oil?

This year has not been a great one for the biggest names in energy, but sometimes a lull in investor sentiment can provide a buying opportunity. So is buying Big Oil now a good idea? One reason that you could consider buying right now is because this year is what both BP(NYSE:BP) and Total(NYSE:TOT) are calling an "inflection point" in their capital spending programs. So instead of focusing on spending big money on growth projects, they are looking to focus on higher returns and potentially start putting that cash toward share buybacks and increasing dividends. They aren't the only ones, either. Royal Dutch Shell(NYSE:RDS-A) and ExxonMobil(NYSE:XOM) have both hinted that there will be a greater focus on returns in the future.

There are other reasons to buy Big Oil and reasons to hold off. Tune into the video below to get a better picture of both the case for and against investing in Big Oil.

Fool contributor Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him at Fool.com under the handle TMFDirtyBird, on Google +, or on Twitter @TylerCroweFool.